Prepare
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: Shepard has a dream that is a memory of her past that she has forgotten. There is an unexpected ending to her dream that leads her to the med bay at night for answers.


**Author's note: My first Mass Effect and one shot fanfiction ever. Please enjoy! Let me know what you think. It's redone! I'm more pleased with this one! ^.^ For some reason I just really liked this idea and when I came back and reread it, I just had to do it over again. Make it a bit better. I hope I did it a bit more justice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warnings: Womanly products.**

**Word Count: 3,898**

The Citadel is bursting with life as it always does. Humans, Asari, Turian, Hanar and even the random Krogen could be seen walking around the streets with their own agenda's that take priority to them. Everyone is reasonably respectful to one another if they happen to bump shoulders or step into one another's path, by a quick apology that is forgotten moments later. There is a airy peace about the busy streets of the Citadel's upper levels. The air is clear and there is a pleasant, unmistakable din that floats over the Citadel where many different races converge.

Some of the citizens stop when they spot each other, having a quick chat which, more times than not, ends a few minutes later with a swift, but friendly, goodbye and the promise to speak to each other again soon. There was a sort of flow in the Citadel that was, while hectic, had it's own form of order. Just keep moving, keep your mind focused on what you should be doing, and get there quickly. No problem. Usually.

But even with that airy peace, C-sec officers were never distracted, clad in armor with a trusted weapon in their arms, the men and women, alians alike, walk about all places in the Citadel to ensure that there is a continuation of peace among the people that walk it's surface. Keeping ever vigilant with their head on a swivel, the unofficial motto of C-sec.

There was a sort of common unity amongst the people on the Citadel. No one really wanted to mess with anyone else and would rather others did the same. There is still bit of underlaying unease with the other alian races in regaurds to the humans. One moment could tip the balance of the entire Citadel. One false move and every head would turn with their own form of acusation. Their own form of judgement.

Even with this make-shift peace that has settled over the entire Citadel, there was also a bit of underlying tension. That, every moment of ever day, was just a prelude to something big happening. Like everyone was waiting for the world to suddenly come crashing down around them. The peace of the home for many of the citizens was easily tipped one way or another. It was very thin. A lot thinner than perhaps anyone wanted to admit.

This was before there was a need to prepare for the arrival of the Reapers. Or their attack on Earth. Before the Collecters and their conquest to steal humans from their colonies out in the Terminis systems. This is even before Eden Prime and the councel's intrest in a human spectre.

Before Kennedy was forever refered to as Shepard.

One day, the airy peacefulness that shrowded the Citadel, was shattered.

"Theif! Theif!" a breathy voice yells, catching the attention of a nearby turian C-sec officer, who immediartely responded. He swiftly elbowed his way through the crowd toward the voice.

When the volus merchant spotted the C-sec officer getting closer, he pointed to a form in black blending into the crowd with a sweatshirt over their head, covering the person beneath it. "Quickly, officer," the volus gasps, pointing wildly toward the figure, "catch that theif! She stole a holodrive from my store!"

Immediately the C-sec officer broke into a fast jog, yelling for the figure to stop and for everyone in his way to move. This grabbed the attention of all who had a spare moment to watch this play out. The figure didn't speed up but certainly didn't slow down. They were unaware that they were the one that was being called out to. Finally, the C-sec officer grabs hold of the tiny shoulder of the figure beneath the sweatshirt and turned the person - now obviously a 'her' - around to look into light blue eyes.

The theif was a human girl, no older then 15, if the officer had to guess but he was no expert on humans nor would he ever claim to be. Standing beside her, he towered over her. She looked slightly intimidated by his height but quickly straightened her spine and squared her jaw.

She pulls her hood down to reveal pale milky white skin and deep black hair, so dark it looked blue with the sunlight beating down on it. A thin eyebrow raises as she speaks, her voice lowering as it enters the thralls of puberty, "What can I do for you, officer?"

This strikes a nerve in him. How dare a human girl steal from here? The Citadel of all places? Then, worst of all, try and hide her crime with large, imitating innocent eyes?

He seizes her arm with his three taloned hand in a firm grip. "Did you steal from a volus?"

The human girl's jaw drops. "What? No! Of course not." Her hand rolls up into a fist and tenses up, debating whether to pull her arm from his grip, but at the last minute decided against it. She doesn't want to risk cutting herself on his talons, even though they are gloved, nor does she want to risk angering him anymore than he already appears to be.

The officer felt irritation and tension build up in his shoulders. "We'll see. Come with me." Why did he chose this lifestyle? Turians don't operate well in stressful situations. Or perhaps it's better to say, they don't handle being stressed well. And boy, do humans make his stressed.

As much as the girl wanted to fight back, tell the mislead officer that he's got the wrong person, she sees the look in all of the other bystanders eyes. Most of them look... accusitory. _Of course a human girl would be a bad seed. Can't trust those humans._ But her own people look dissapointed. _Way to represent. _They could't believe that a human would try to disgrace their spieces like this. And after finally being accepted into the galactic alliance. One human could easily break the tender, paper-thin alliance between the Humans and Turians.

The girl glares down at the offending volus who's hand was pointing at her mere inches from her face. "That's her!" he wheezes. "That's the theif! She stole my holodrive!"

Insulted, the girl yanked her arm from the turian's grip, finally, no longer caring about her previous fears, to put them on her slim hips. "What? No way! I haven't stolen anything! I've never taken a thing in my life!"

"No, I'm sure of it. I saw those fleshy little fingers take my holodrive!" The volus accuses.

The officer looks back and forth between the two arguing races. He couldn't really tell how upset the volus was for lack of facial expression, but from his voice alone, he sounded pretty upset. While the human on the other hand, her face was scrunched up in rage and her voice was filled with anger. A wetness to her eyes.

"She stole my holodrive! Arrest her!" the volus whines, turning his attention to the C-sec officer.

"No way," the girl also turns her attention to the officer. "You can't do that, there is no proof! I didn't take a thing!"

As much as he wanted to just arrest the girl so he can go on with his day, there was no proof and he can't arrest her merely on the word of the volus alone. His dark blue eyes go back and forth between the human and the volus, trying to think on what to do about this.

"What's going on?"

All three figures and their crowd turn to look at the two more approaching C-sec members. Another turian and a human woman. Both walk up with a respectful distance between them. It was the woman who spoke.

"This Earth-clan is a theif! She stole my holodrive!" the volus gasps out, still pointing at the girl. "I saw her stick it into her left sleeve."

All three officers turn to her, to wait for her rebuttle. The girl's lips fall into a thin line, angry tears burn in her eyes. All their eyes lower to her left sleeve, which is sealed closed with her thin fingers. Slowly, she moves her hand behind her body, those angry tears burning brighter.

Both the Turians share a look.

The first Turian holds out his hand. "Is it still on you?"

The girl shakes her head. "No, I didn't steal anything."

"Then what's in your sleeve?" the Human woman asks, hands on her hips.

"Nothing." the girl mumbles, looking down. The other Turian watches quietly as her brain seems to work, those blue eys turn to the volus. "What color is your missing holodrive?"

Taken back, the volus blinks. "Grey and brown, theif."

The girl looks to the three officers, eyes still swimming in tears that haven't fallen yet. "Then I'm innocent. What I hold in my hand is white."

For a moment all of the officers look at each other. Finally, the first Turian cleared his throat, hand still out. "Well, if you are innocent, then there is no need to worry about whatever you have in your sleeve. That way we can clear you of any crimes and move on to find the actual theif. Now, what is in your sleeve?"

"I..." She looks to the human woman. "I...it's personal..." big blue eyes will her to understand.

The human C-sec officer blinks, she shifts her weight from one hip to the other. "How personal?" She quirks a sandy eyebrow.

The girl chews on her lower lip, looking at the two Turians and the volus. She steps closer to the woman and offers her arm, angry tears finally fall from her eyes, shocking the two other officers and the merchant. The woman opens her sleeve and looks inside. She pulls out a white tube shaped thing for only a moment before letting it fall back in. The officer then proceeded to check the girls pockets before turning back to her fellow officers.

"She's good."

"She could have stashed it somewhere to get it later," the volus complains, looking at the two Turians since he seems to have lost the Human for his cause.

The girl turns to the volus and points a finger in his face. "Listen, you three foot tall, money grubbing mieser. I didn't take your damn holodrive. I swear to everything that's holy, you damn volus. Where do you get off accusing me of something I didn't do? Now if you have an ounce of dignity within you, then you will stop with this foolish prejudice! I know you know that I'm not the theif." She steps over him, eyes blazing. "Why?"

He stumbles back, confused. "I-I know no such thing! I saw you!"

"How? Is this your store?" she gestures to the building with her right hand, voice intense. The volus nods dumbly. "Then there is no way you could have seen me steal anything unless you can see through walls. I never came this way, I took the road over there, no where near here!"

The human officer raises her eyebrow. "Rhid, is this true?"

"Rhid?" the girl echos. "As in, Niclin Rhid?" Her eyes narrow as she looms more over the volus with a hint of malice in her voice. "The same Rhid that calls my friends and I worthless street rats? The same Rhid that has been harrassing me for the past two months?" she snarls. "That_ Rhid_?"

He gulps and steps back, looking up at the angered teen. "M-Maybe I was wrong...?"

"Maybe?" the girl gasps. "You could of ruined my life just moments ago for a _maybe?" _If looks could kill at that percice moment. "How _dare _you? I'm a child and even I think that's shit. If you're old enough to run a shop, then you're old enough to get over this stupid prejudice."

Calmly, the second Turian finally spoke up, voice level and diplomatic. "I believe you owe this young lady an apology for putting her through this."

The volus sighs, "Well, my holodrive is still missing." He looks up to see the human woman with a frown on her lips and immediately gasps out, "I'm sorry, th- Earth-clan. I, uh... will not make a mistake like that again."

Finally, the girl steps away. "Fine." She runs her right sleeve over her eyes before turning to the first Turian. "Can I go now?"

He nods. "Yes." Then the Rhid, "Don't make that assumption again, now let's go see if we can find your missing holodrive." He ran a hand over his forehead, muttering annoyed under his breath.

The girl turned on her heel and flees to a back ally, everything began to flow again. Seeing the girl run, the second Turian touches the human woman's shoulder. "Anya, I'll be right back." She rolls her eyes.

"We'll be with the volus." With that they split, the woman following the volus into the shop and the other Turian following the teenage girl.

He found her with the palms of her fleshy hands and forehead pressed against the wall, tears running down her face. She was grumbling, angry, under her breath.

"Hey," the Turian says quietly, trying not to startle her, but she jumps anyway. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you practically run for your life back there, I, uh, just wanted to make sure you're okay." He really didn't know how to deal with humans, but no one deserves to be humiliated in front of a crowd, especially if you did nothing wrong in the slightest. Some won't see it that way, but his mother raised him right. It just won't feel complete if he didn't at least apologize, even if he did nothing wrong.

"I'm fine," she says thickly. "God... that was so embarrassing." She pushes some long dark hair from her forehead.

She runs a hand over her eyes once more before turning to look at her company. Her eyes run over him for a moment, making him feel a little nervous with that intense look. He can't believe that humans can change personalities so quickly. One moment she was innocent then next she was dangerous and then she's crying and now she's studying him.

"How so?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. He became friends with Anya - a human - easily enough. It was still a bit weird, but they were at least friendly with each other. Humans were strange, but not horrible, like his father thought.

She smiles lightly. "What I've got is embarressing, and something I don't expect you to understand." She smiles a little more kindly. "Thank you though, for making sure I was okay. It's strange."

He tilts his head slightly, crossing his arms over his chest, but not threateningly at all. "Oh yeah?"

She nods. "Yeah, I just... I just didn't think I would be comforted by a Turian." Normally, those words would seem cruel, but she says them so softly, without any prejudice. Almost like two friends talking. Her beautiful face twists into a beautiful smile. "Thank you."

He was extremely surprised, but for only a moment, before he nods. "I'm Garrus."

She reaches out for his clawed hand. "I'm Kennedy."

* * *

><p>Shepard opens her eyes and looks around the dark empty room aboard the Normandy. They had just blew up the Collecter base. Only hours ago. She can still remember every detail of that mission. Everyone had survived. She didn't have to live with their deaths on her mind. It's bad enough she still has nightmares of Ash's death, any more and she might lose her damn mind.<p>

Immediately, she looks beside her for Garrus only to note that he isn't there. Then she remembers that he got pretty banged up so he's spending the night in Doctor Chakwas's infirmary until tomorrow.

Shepard sat there in silence for a moment, considering if she should go wake him up or wait til morning. It wasn't like it was overly important or anything, but it was so strange, at least in Shepard's opinion, how things just sort of end up how they do. The galaxy was both a very big and a very small place. Deciding that he would probably more rather be with her than sleep. Or maybe that was her that wanted him, but nonetheless she crawls out of bed in a tank top and sleep shorts to the elevator. When she reaches the third floor, she heads for the med bay, her bare feet slapping lightly against the metal floor.

The Normandy is dead at this time of night. The bulk of the crew is sleeping or having already settled into their shift change, leaving the halls barren and allowing Shepard to hear the soft hum of the ship around her. She smiles, thinking about how much has changed from that moment on the Citadel in her memory to this moment, standing outside the infirmary where the odd love of her life was resting.

Thankfully the doors hissed open and closed, quietly. Shepard could make out his shape in the dim light by Chakwas's desk in the front of the room but it provides only enough light for her human eyes to be able to safely make her way to Garrus's bed without banging her shin off anything. It's still dark enough for Garrus to sleep comfortably.

Stealthily, she slinks across the room and kneels next to his bed, her hand coming out to gently touch his scarred mandible with the pads of her fingers. "Garrus," she whispers to the darkened figure of her lover.

Blue eyes open, adjusting immdediately to the darkness. "Shepard...?" He turns to his side, nuzzeling into her soft hand. "What time is it?" His voice is thick and gravelly from sleep.

"Nighttime," she says vaguely, having not really knowing the answer herself. Coming down here was an impulsive decision. "Sorry to wake you. I just had a dream that I wanted to tell you about. More like ask, I suppose."

Garrus's mandible twitches, the last of the sleep is blinked away. He touches her long curly dark curtain of hair. She smiles at the gentle touch that nearly seemed impossible for the former vigilanty. "Ask away, Shepard."

"Do you remeber working in C-sec?"

He laughs. "I haven't been away that long, Shepard. I remember my experience there fairily well." A pause. "Why?"

"It's been years," she says softly, cupping his face and looking through the darkness into those small blue eyes. "Do you remember a human girl being accused of stealing a holodrive from a volus named Niclin Rhib?"

Garrus squints into the darkness, trying to sort through all of the times he's had to mediate between a human girl and a volus. Finally the memory surfaced in his head. "Yeah, I do. The volus was just- wait," he blinks out the memory, "How did you...? No..." he sits up slowly, blinking in realization. He slowly its up. "Kennedy?"

She grins lightly. "Yes, Garrus?"

He flinches, laying a hand on his wounded leg, propping himself against the wall, looking down at Shepard. "Wow," he breaths, studying her face in the darkness. "Your eyes are the same, your hair is a bit shorter, and you're a little older but... wow. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you." He shakes his head, mandibles spread out for a Turian smile. "So the illusion is shattered. Kennedy Shepard."

Shepard laughs, moving to sit next to her love on his bed, careful of his wounded leg. "I guess it is." She lays her head against the plats of his shoulder. He's in loose casual clothes. Both sit in a content silence.

"Now what, Shepard? Where do we go from here?"

Shepard closes her eyes, not really seeing any reason to lie. "I need to head back to Earth. I have to face the court for the death of all of those Batarians."

Garrus looks at her surprised. "What? But that wasn't... you had no other choice. Are they really going to punish you for that? You delayed the Reaper invasion." Small blue eyes narrow, obvious upset by her words.

Shepard nods, eyes closed. She has no idea what they will do when she returns to her homeworld but there is one thing she is sure of. She is going to do her best to make sure that the rest of the galaxy is ready for the Reaper invasion. If they aren't and the worlds are all completely overrun, then those Batarians would have died in vain. Once, just this once, let this all work out and she'll never ask it again.

"I know, Garrus," Shepard says softly. "But those people are dead because of me. Their lives are on my hands, regardless of the reasons. I owe it to them, and their families, to be punished for it."

Garrus lets out a whoosh of breath, his mandibles pressing close to his face, showing just how upset he is. "I don't like it, Shepard. For so long you've been ignored. How are you so sure they will listen to you now?"

Shepard opens her eyes and looks up at the turian. "I'm not. But I have to try."

Garrus looks down at her for a few moments, before nodding. He dips his head down until his forehead is pressed against hers. "I know you do. That's what I love about you."

Shepard smiles, not responding. She doesn't need to. Everything that needed to be said was already said. There was no way of knowing what the future would have in store for them, but somehow, Shepard had faith that it would all work out, for the best. She had to believe that. All her life she had been fighting tooth and nail to get everything in her life when all she ever wanted was to help people. Now she has to help a lot of people.

The entire galaxy.

She has to believe that it will all work out. Without it, there is no way for her to hold strong. And when Garrus leaned in a bit more, as if he could read her mind, she knew that sometime soon, she will have the greatest, and most devastating, fight of her life, but somehow just knowing that Garrus, her Archangel, would be there for her put her at ease. If only a bit.

Shepard hopes with all of her will and stregnth that when the Reapers come, and they will, that the entire galaxy can put up one hell of a fight that those sentient machines never forget. And she hopes that when they get here, the Turians, Asari, Humans, Salarians, Volus, Quarian, Yahg and every other speiecies in this galaxy shows the Reapers, as a united force, that they will not bow down and let these monster defeat them.

This is their galaxy and if the Reapers want to harvest them, they are going to need a bigger army.

And another 50 thousand years to prepare.


End file.
